Latham mulls tax, Howard sits tight

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Opposition Leader Mark Latham yesterday continued to dodge questions about his tax policy, while Prime Minister John Howard remained as elusive as ever about his retirement plans.

Mr Latham would neither commit to nor categorically rule out a tax break for all those earning under $52,000, who missed out in the budget.

On Saturday shadow treasurer Simon Crean said there would definitely not be something for everyone.

Mr Latham said: "We're hoping to have a very comprehensive program of tax relief. But we're still finalising the policy . . . We're not ruling things in or out."

The Opposition had to get things right, not just in terms of tax relief but also family assistance and the interaction between the two, he told Channel Seven's Sunday Sunrise.

Mr Howard, interviewed on Ten's Meet the Press, dismissed a Sunday Age-Taverner poll that showed voters little impressed by the budget giveaways, saying these would not swing their vote.

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"I wouldn't get too excited either way about polls taken a few days after a budget," he said. "If you look at the past it takes a while for any reaction, negative or positive, to flow through."

Mr Howard promised that the second tranche of the budget's tax cuts, which are in the budget legislation but do not start until July next year, would be delivered come what may.

Pressed about his future, Mr Howard said he was "not mulling over retirement". He said the real question was "does the public want a Coalition led by me with the economy run by Peter Costello? Or a government led by Mark Latham and the economy run by Simon Crean?"

Mr Howard said he had "never run a one-man band. Nobody could ever accuse me of not being a team player. My strength is my team's strength."

On Thursday Mr Howard will have a big celebration to mark his 30th year in Parliament, with radio commentator Alan Jones as compere.

While Mr Howard once again refused to be precise about his future, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nationals leader John Anderson, promised to serve through another term if re-elected.

Asked on the ABC's Insiders whether he was offering himself for the full term as leader of the Nationals, Mr Anderson said: "If I'm in a position to offer myself . . . i.e., we've won and I'm still the member for Gwydir and those sorts of things, yes."

The Prime Minister conceded there was something of an "it's time" for change factor in the electorate. But it was nothing like it was in 1996 or 1972, he said.

Greens senator Bob Brown called on Labor to drop its support for the budget's tax cut for people on incomes of more than $52,000. He said the poll's message was that it was a mistake for Labor to endorse the Government's tax cuts. Labor should change tack and bring forward a program to put the money into health, education, housing, transport and the environment, he said on Nine's Sunday.

Labor yesterday stepped up its attack on the Government's tax package, releasing calculations verified by the Parliamentary Library showing workers on less than $52,000 a year would be paying $29 to $43 in extra tax every week by 2007-08.

Opposition workplace relations spokesman Craig Emerson said hairdressers would pay $28.88 a week more in tax, farm workers an extra $30.88, cleaners an extra $33.14 and social workers an extra $42.73.

A spokeswoman for Mr Costello said: "Labor are nitpicking (about) a policy they support. All Australians benefit from the Government's strong economic management, which has created over 1.3 million jobs."